The Reversed Dream
(奇幻短篇小說 顛倒夢想)
1
I was certain that I was still alive.
A group of people surrounded my hospital bed.
This place was neither heaven nor hell.
It was a hospital.
“Thank heavens, my child, you have finally awakened.”
A gracefully dressed, middle-aged noblewoman stroked my cheeks.
Her loving eyes shimmered with tears.
“Big brother, you were unconscious for three days after the car accident. Mom has stayed by your side and watched over you for all three days.”
The young woman standing behind the noblewoman excitedly held my hand.
She called me “Big Brother David.”
No, that was wrong.
My intuition told me that she must have mistaken me for someone else, because I remembered clearly that I was a girl, currently studying at university.
“General Manager, we came to visit you as soon as we received Mrs. David’s call.”
Several men and women standing nearby wore formal uniforms, with nameplates displaying their titles on their chests.
They should have been senior employees of some company, right?
But why did I have absolutely no memory of them?
“Thanks to Doctor Lin performing emergency surgery on you, you were saved.
Bixian, you have no idea how worried your mother and all of us have been these past few days.”
The noblewoman speaking to me had facial features somewhat similar to the other woman.
They should be sisters, right?
“Bixian? Is she calling me that?
I don’t remember my name being Bixian.”
I felt a dull pain in my chest.
Layers of gauze wrapped tightly around my head and torso, leaving no space uncovered.
I was like a mummy giving off the smell of medicine.
I reached out to pull at the gauze on my chest, wanting to loosen it a little.
It made breathing difficult.
But at that moment, I suddenly discovered that my breasts had actually “disappeared.”
The shock almost made me jump out of bed.
I cried out involuntarily:
“My breasts are gone!”
At the same time, I clearly heard my own voice become deeper.
Yes, I had become a man.
Or rather, I was a genuine man.
Everyone around me was frightened by my sudden shout.
They looked at one another in confusion.
Then they gave me looks that were either filled with pity or bewilderment.
Two days later, I began eating liquid food.
The woman who claimed to be my “mother” and my “younger sister” took turns feeding me pork rib porridge and small fish porridge.
My “mother” sat beside the bed and slowly repeated what the attending neurosurgeon had said:
“During the car accident, the patient suffered a brain injury.
A malignant tumor inside the occipital lobe of the brain ruptured.
Although the blood clot and tumor tissue were removed, it could still have caused damage to the memory area, resulting in memory loss.
The doctor said that you turned a disaster into a blessing because the malignant tumor in your brain was discovered in time.
You need time to recover.
Mom will not put any pressure on you.”
This explanation seemed both professional and reasonable.
However, I was still half doubtful.
Becoming a man’s body made me extremely uncomfortable.
Especially standing up to urinate.
The only thing that gave me a little comfort was that my “menstrual pain” was gone.
Men did not have the troublesome monthly period.
During this period, whenever my “mother” was not around, my “younger sister” stayed by my side.
She was my “special nurse.”
My “younger sister” was very careful and organized in everything she did.
She brought out old photographs and videotapes of me with my family, classmates, colleagues, girlfriends, and others.
One photo at a time, one recording at a time, she told me about the things I had experienced in the past.
And whenever I asked questions, she answered every single one.
My “younger sister” said that she had been my follower since we were children.
My relationship with her was one where we talked about everything.
Even the girlfriends I had dated—she knew every one of them clearly.
These records were obviously not something my “younger sister” could have gone to great lengths to fabricate, right?
Besides, in reality, it would have been impossible.
However, I still could not accept this body:
Thick hair,
a face covered with half-grown stubble,
sharp and angular facial features,
a rough and upright physique,
as well as thick chest hair and leg hair.
2
“Madam, your son is still alive, but my only daughter, the child who depended on me and whom I depended on for survival, is lying unconscious on a hospital bed.”
I was awakened by an intense argument.
I opened my eyes and saw the back of an elderly man standing at the doorway.
His hair was graying.
He had an average build and was wearing a faded short-sleeved shirt and khaki pants.
“Mr. Ji, we are also victims of this car accident. Your daughter was merely an innocent victim caught in the consequences. The prosecutor has already said that my son was not at fault in any way.”
My “mother” was arguing with him.
“But my daughter has become a vegetative patient!
Meiru, you suffered such injustice!”
Hearing this voice, I strangely felt such familiarity and warmth.
Could it be that this old gentleman was…?
“Meiru.”
That name sounded so familiar.
Could she have been my former…?
“Brother Ji, in terms of human feelings and moral responsibility, haven’t I already given you three hundred thousand yuan so that you could arrange your daughter’s funeral?
I have no obligation to raise you, you know!”
Listening to this, I felt very uncomfortable.
This “mother” of mine was actually so stingy.
“Why don’t you give the old gentleman some more money so he can settle down, Mom?”
I spoke timidly.
Hearing me call her “Mom,” my “mother” turned around and looked at me with overwhelming joy.
“Alright, you decide how to handle this matter yourself.
Mom is so happy!
Ever since you were injured and hospitalized, you haven’t spoken a single word to call anyone for an entire month.
Mom thought… I thought you didn’t recognize me as your mother anymore.”
My “mother” spoke with relief, and tears unconsciously flowed from her eyes.
I secretly decided that the first thing I would do after being discharged from the hospital was to visit Mr. Ji.
I desperately wanted to find out my true identity.
The road leading to the traditional three-sided courtyard house twisted and turned through countless bends.
But my memory of it was clearer than ever.
I directed the driver where to go.
He also sensed that I seemed extremely familiar with this area.
The familiar red-brick, black-tiled three-sided courtyard house appeared before me.
In the small flower garden at the entrance were the marguerite daisies that I had planted in spring.
Now they were blooming, their snow-white buds about to open.
I was certain that this was truly my home.
The person who opened the door to welcome me was none other than Mr. Ji.
His old face, covered with wrinkles, was one I knew better than anyone.
But I had to endure it.
For the moment, I could not acknowledge him.
My old father opened the door to the room.
This was my Japanese-style boudoir.
The arrangement inside was exactly as it had always been.
On the wall there was an additional photograph of me—a “portrait photo.”
The negative for that photograph had been taken from a daily-life photo of mine two months earlier.
My entire body trembled uncontrollably.
I was certain that I was “Ji Meiru.”
“These albums are all photographs of my daughter Meiru from when she was alive.”
Mr. Ji placed several large photo albums in front of me.
After turning only two pages, I could no longer hold back my emotions.
Tears burst from my eyes.
“Mr. Chen, Mr. Chen, what’s wrong with you?”
My old father was completely confused by my unusual reaction.
I struggled to suppress my emotions.
“I’m sorry. I lost control of myself.
Old… old gentleman.”
After borrowing “Meiru’s” diary and photo albums from “Mr. Ji,” I left that familiar home.
3
Urged by my “mother,” I returned to the company to “work”:
A fake General Manager “Chen Bixian.”
I secretly observed the movements and mannerisms of several male managers, even their facial expressions and hand gestures when they spoke.
From these observations, I tried to figure out how I should “play” the role of General Manager so that I would not accidentally reveal my true identity from time to time.
This was truly a “difficult task.”
First of all, I had to explain why the ashtray was missing from my desk:
“Because the doctor instructed me that I must quit smoking.”
Then I also had to explain to my secretary, Miss Qin, that during breakfast and afternoon tea, I no longer drank coffee.
I only drank fresh fruit juice.
I looked very seriously at the official documents on my desk.
I even dug out a pile of old documents and carefully imitated “Chen Bixian’s” handwriting and the wording style he used in his written instructions.
“As long as it looks seven-tenths alike, it should be acceptable.”
I personally felt that I had managed to get by.
The more troublesome part was dealing with some “forms” and professional terminology.
Aside from my secretary, I could not ask anyone else for help.
I tactfully explained to my secretary that after my car accident, my brain functions had not fully recovered, and some of my memories had temporarily disappeared.
My secretary patiently answered my questions and provided brief explanations.
I actively followed her and tried to make up for my lack of knowledge.
As a result, she had to accompany me for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea.
In return, I gave her Ferrero Rocher chocolates and several boxes of skincare products.
She said to me:
“General Manager, after you woke up from the car accident, the way you speak and behave has changed so much.”
“How so? Which parts are different from before?”
I pretended to remain calm and asked.
“In the past, you always appeared dignified, strong, and full of confidence.
When you spoke, you were very forceful and intimidating, like a lion king.
You made me feel a great deal of pressure.”
The secretary spoke with a very serious expression.
“Then what about me now?
Am I like a gentle little lamb?”
I smiled and continued the conversation.
“No, no, that’s not exactly it.
It’s just that you are much gentler, friendlier, and easier to get along with now.”
Secretary Qin’s expression looked somewhat strange.
During the executive meeting, I carefully listened to the reports from the managers of each department.
At the same time, I took notes while constantly nodding and smiling at the speakers.
I tried my best not to give any actual opinions about their reports.
Instead, I would vaguely and generally say:
“Manager X’s report is detailed and thorough.”
“Manager X has demonstrated an active attitude and deserves recognition.”
Afterwards, my secretary told me about the managers’ “reactions” toward me.
At first, some people felt that I “seemed unable to get into the situation.”
Others felt that my “noncommittal attitude” instead made them feel that I was “deeply mysterious and impossible to understand.”
But their common conclusion was:
“The General Manager seems not to have fully recovered yet.”
Actually, from their confused expressions, I had already been able to figure this out myself.
4
At noon that day, I was lying face down on my desk, hugging a pillow while taking a nap.
Suddenly, a voice woke me up:
“Wake up, wake up! Who are you? Why are you wearing my clothes and sitting in my position?”
I drowsily raised my head.
“Huh? No one.”
I thought to myself that perhaps I was just hearing things.
When I was about to lie back down again, that voice appeared once more:
“Who exactly are you? Why are you occupying my body?”
This time, I no longer thought it was an auditory hallucination, because the voice was clearly inside this office.
I searched around carefully, but I could not find any suspicious hiding place.
So I gathered my courage and asked:
“I am Chen Bixian. Who are you? Why are you here playing tricks?”
“I am the real Chen Bixian. You fake one, tell me honestly, who exactly are you?”
The voice became increasingly stern.
I turned around and noticed that in the dressing mirror behind my seat, the image of a person who looked exactly like “me” was pointing at me with one finger.
“So you are here!”
I asked:
“You are Chen Bixian?”
“That’s right. Who are you? Why are you occupying my body?”
That image stared at me resentfully.
“I…I am Ji Meiru.”
I honestly told him, feeling a great sense of relief.
“How did you get into my body?”
“I don’t know either.
I only remember that I was riding a bicycle through an intersection when a car from the opposite lane rolled over and crashed into me.
After I woke up in the hospital, I had already become the way I am now.”
I gave him a brief explanation.
“I was the driver of that car.”
He continued:
“So you were that innocent pedestrian.
When the car violently rolled over, my soul was thrown out of my body.
I guess that when you were struck by the car, your soul separated from your body.
Then, taking advantage of the chaos, your soul entered my body.
When the ambulance arrived, my soul could not return to my body, so I had no choice but to temporarily attach myself to the crystal necklace I was wearing.
Today at noon, you removed that necklace and placed it on the desk.
Through the reflection of sunlight, I was finally able to project myself onto the dressing mirror.”
“I see. I thought I had encountered a ghost.”
I calmly smiled as I spoke.
“Since my body has already been occupied by you first, I want to make an agreement with you—to share this body.”
He suggested.
“Actually, I never wanted to occupy your body.”
I said with a bitter smile:
“You are a businessman. Your life is far too busy. I am exhausted just trying to keep up with it.”
“Really?”
He sneered, revealing a hint of pride.
“Yes!
I am only a female university student.
I never wanted to become any kind of general manager.”
I looked helpless.
He asked:
“Then, is your body still alive?”
“Yes.
It is lying unconscious on a hospital bed in a nursing facility.”
“Good.
Then take me there now.
I will make do with using your body first.”
A look of joy appeared on his face.
I asked:
“Are you sure this will work?”
“It should.
If we don’t try, how will we know it won’t work?”
So, under his instructions, I put on the crystal necklace and quickly left the office.
Even when my secretary asked where I was going, I did not turn my head back.
I sneaked into the nursing facility, stole a doctor’s uniform, and disguised myself as a newly arrived doctor.
After sending the nurse away, following “Chen Bixian’s” instructions, I removed the crystal necklace and placed it on “Meiru’s” forehead.
Suddenly, a candle-flame-like point of light emerged from the crystal and sank into her forehead.
Not long afterward, “Meiru’s” eyes gradually regained movement.
“Help me sit up.”
Meiru spoke.
I helped “her” sit up.
“Her” body was extremely weak.
“This body still cannot be used.
You need to help me with rehabilitation first.”
“Her” body asked me to carry her on my back.
Together, we quickly escaped from the nursing facility.
I temporarily arranged for “her” to stay at “my home”:
Mr. Ji’s traditional three-sided courtyard house.
I reminded “her” that, in order to avoid “complications,” I wanted “her” to temporarily regard herself as “Ji Meiru.”
After “her” body recovered, according to our agreement, I would arrange for “her” to enter the company and become the “General Manager’s Special Assistant,” allowing “her” to regain actual control of power.
“Father” felt both delighted and confused when he saw the awakened “Meiru.”
His daughter had been “recovered” from death.
But the “daughter” he had recovered was no longer the same as before.
Because this “daughter” had countless complaints and would constantly raise her voice at her elderly father over the smallest matters.
5
As promised, I arranged for “Meiru” to enter the company and serve as the “General Manager’s Special Assistant.”
I became a puppet controlled by invisible strings, while “Meiru” became “the hand manipulating everything behind the scenes.”
I was merely “Meiru’s rubber stamp,” responsible for stamping approvals on her behalf.
She ordered me around as she pleased.
Even in front of the managers, she often showed me no respect and did not spare my feelings, making me feel deeply aggrieved.
My days became extremely dull.
However, I could not escape everything I was currently trapped in:
my identity, my position, and my responsibilities.
Every day, I was like a spinning top forced to rotate in the same place against my own will, living a life where my soul seemed separated from my body.
I often became “lost in thought” because my “mind was never truly present.”
If possible, I only wanted to “become seriously ill” and hide in a hospital to rest properly.
“Meiru” seemed to notice my loneliness and disappointment as well.
She suggested that after the company’s business affairs settled down, I should take a long vacation and travel abroad.
With “Meiru’s” permission, I felt as if I had been granted a pardon.
I quickly found myself an excuse to take a long vacation:
“Go abroad for a thorough examination of my brain.”
My “mother” also agreed.
This was something I had to personally handle.
A female university student from a poor family had to rely on part-time jobs to earn tuition fees and living expenses.
For me, “going abroad” had been an unreachable dream.
Not to mention carrying “US dollar traveler’s checks” and a “Citibank Gold Card” with me.
Hawaii, Las Vegas, Hollywood…
Wherever I wanted to enjoy myself, I could simply go there and enjoy myself.
“Meiru” only required that I must not damage “Chen Bixian’s” body.
Sooner or later, he would have to find a way to take it back.
6
As my two-month vacation was nearing its end, “Meiru” called my mobile phone from overseas to remind me that I must keep my promise and return to Taiwan as scheduled.
Otherwise, she said:
“I don’t care what the cost is.
I will use every possible method.
Whether you live or die, I will get you back!”
At that moment, I suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of despair.
Because soon I would have to fly across the Pacific Ocean and return to that tiny island where people were packed together and cars crowded the roads.
I would once again live a life where I was controlled by others every day, no different from a walking corpse.
I decided that I would no longer bow my head to fate.
I wanted to escape the control of “Mother” and “Meiru” and live the life I truly wanted.
I used traveler’s checks to buy some gold bars, then exchanged them for a large amount of cash.
After that, I bought a used car, a forged Chinese passport, two bags of plasma matching my blood type, and a sharp knife.
I drove the car onto a bridge.
Taking advantage of the darkness of night, I arranged the scene to look like a murder case:
A suit and shirt stained with blood plasma and torn with holes were left on the driver’s seat of the car.
A small section of a cut-off tie was hung on the car window.
The passport was scattered beside the car door.
A pair of shoes was left separately near the guardrail.
The evening newspaper the next day, just as expected, reported this “suspected murder case.”
A young man surnamed Chen from Taiwan was suspected of being murdered by criminals and his body abandoned in the river.
“Traveler’s checks, a gold card, and a mobile phone” were suspected to have been stolen.
The county police department had already dispatched officers downstream along the river to search for the victim.
I wore a wig and brown sunglasses.
Carrying a guitar and wearing a colorful floral shirt, I dressed myself up like a flashy Mexican man.
Taking a long-distance bus from New York to Seattle, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After arriving in Seattle, I rented a small apartment near the University of Seattle and began planning my future life.
My plan was to first undergo plastic surgery to change my appearance.
Then I would take university courses for credits.
After that, I would apply for admission.
Step by step, I would realize my dream:
to become a pianist.
7
My “mother” placed “missing person notices” in several newspapers.
She believed that I was still alive because the police had found neither my body nor any murderer who might have been involved in the case.
I had gradually become accustomed to being a “man.”
Although my landlord and classmates found it unbelievable that someone with my rugged appearance could actually be somewhat “effeminate.”
Occasionally, after using the restroom, I would forget to put “that thing” back into my pants.
When I hurriedly pulled up the zipper, it would catch my foreskin, causing me unbearable pain for quite some time.
In this way, two peaceful and enjoyable years passed.
I was studying for credits toward a graduate degree in music.
However, something unexpected still happened.
My “younger sister” actually crossed the ocean and came to the United States.
She had also applied to the same university.
The day I encountered my “younger sister,” I was eating in the university cafeteria.
A familiar laugh coming from the table next to me caught my attention.
I stared carefully for quite a while.
“Oh my God!” I shouted inside my heart.
“The Earth is really crowded. Could that girl actually be my ‘younger sister’?”
To confirm my suspicion, I ordered another milkshake, sat back down, and secretly watched my “younger sister” for quite some time.
Later, I remembered that my “younger sister” often wore a certain brand of perfume.
I pretended to walk past her seat.
“That’s right. It’s this scent.”
I smelled the fragrance on my “younger sister.”
This scent had been deeply engraved into my olfactory memory during the time I was hospitalized.
I found out my “younger sister’s” major and where she was staying, and I was planning to find some time to approach her.
At night, I worked as a pianist at a pub in the city.
That night, I encountered my “younger sister” again.
She was sitting beside the bar drinking with another girl who also had an East Asian appearance.
Not long afterward, several young men gathered around them.
Judging from their sloppy and frivolous appearances, they seemed to be local punks who hung around this area.
The boys kept entertaining the two girls with their words and physical gestures.
When my “younger sister” went to the restroom, one of the punks unexpectedly took out a capsule and mixed the powder inside into her drink.
I saw this scene clearly from the stage.
As soon as I finished playing a song, I immediately pretended to have a stomachache, reported it to the manager, and rushed toward the entrance of the women’s restroom.
When my “younger sister” came out, I called out to her:
“Vivian, I’m your brother, David.”
My “younger sister” looked at me with drunken, blurry eyes.
Her expression seemed full of confusion.
“David? Your voice sounds very similar, but you don’t look like him.”
My “younger sister” waved her hand and spoke unsteadily.
I grabbed her arm and pulled her toward a corner.
“Little sister, look, this crystal necklace of mine.”
I took off the crystal necklace hanging around my neck and held it in front of her eyes.
“Why do you have this crystal necklace?”
She seemed half sober now.
She stared at the necklace in surprise, then looked at me.
“I really am David. Look more carefully. I had plastic surgery.”
I moved my face closer so she could examine me clearly.
“You really are my brother?”
“I must be drunk.”
For a moment, she still could not believe that the person standing before her was me.
“You really are David? Two years ago, weren’t you already…”
“It’s a long story. I’ll explain it to you later.”
I pulled her toward the back door because, at that moment, two of the punks were already walking toward us.
“Leave with me first. Those punks put drugs into your drink.”
“Where are you taking me?”
My younger sister was pulled outside by me.
I dragged her along as we ran.
But the two punks moved quickly.
They had already caught up with us and blocked the entrance of the alley.
The two men pulled out knives and shouted angrily at me.
I reached into the back pocket of my trousers and took out pepper spray, hiding it behind my back.
As soon as they approached within effective range, I immediately sprayed it into both of their faces with lightning speed.
Caught off guard by me, the two men covered their faces in pain.
I kicked one of them in the groin.
Then I pushed the other one, causing him to crash into the wall.
At that moment, several more punks chased out from the back door.
I hurriedly grabbed my younger sister.
We stepped over the fallen punks, ran out of the alley, and reached the parking lot.
I got into my RV, closed the door, and started the engine.
By then, the pursuing punks had already blocked our way.
Without hesitation, I slammed down on the accelerator, knocked down two of them, and forced my way out.
“That was close!”
My younger sister stuck out her tongue playfully.
“But that was really exciting!”
“Are you completely sober now?”
I pinched her chin lightly.
“Yeah. I was scared sober.”
“Now, you believe that I’m your big brother, right?”
“I believe half of it. The other half, I don’t understand.”
“Oh? For the half you don’t understand, when we get back to my dorm, I’ll tell you everything.”
“Really? Big brother is taking little sister back to his room to get a room?”
My “younger sister” laughed in a somewhat unusual way.
“You! Stop being so ridiculous, saying things like that.”
I laughed and softly scolded her.
“Brother, how did you become this strange-looking?”
“It’s a long story. When we get back to the dorm, I’ll explain everything from the beginning.
For now, let me concentrate on driving.
I’m afraid those punks will desperately chase after us.”
“Alright. I won’t talk anymore. You focus on driving, brother.”
My younger sister leaned against the seat, closed her eyes, and dozed off.
8
“Brother, why does your room smell so nice? And why are there pink wallpapers on the walls?”
As soon as my younger sister entered my room, she asked curiously.
“I like pink. It feels warm and cozy.”
The moment I said that, I realized that I had “given myself away.”
“No, no, that’s not right, Big Brother. You used to like royal blue.”
My little sister suspiciously shook her finger at me.
“Let’s not talk about this. Tell me about what has been happening at home first!”
I quickly changed the subject.
“Ah! These past two years, Mom has been living a very exhausting and unhappy life.”
My little sister said with a sigh.
“Your mom…”
I paused for a moment.
“What happened to Mom?”
“Brother, ever since something happened to you, Mom has often been depressed and unhappy.
She has always believed that you were only missing.
More than once, she said:
‘In life, I must see the person; in death, I must see the body.’
Whenever she received a phone call from the International Division of the Criminal Investigation Bureau informing her of a possible identification of a body, she would personally come to America to identify the remains.
Every time, I accompanied her here.”
“She has really suffered.”
I felt somewhat unable to bear it inside.
“In the past, Mom had very high expectations of us, so we always felt that she was strict.
That was because she had to be both mother and father, carrying the entire family business on her shoulders.
In the company, Mom was a complete career woman, a true strong woman.
But ever since something happened to you, Mom often cries in front of me.
She even says things like:
‘My son is gone. What meaning is there for me to keep living?’
When I hear those hopeless words, all I can do is cry along with her.”
“Oh?”
I thought to myself:
This mother, who always appeared so domineering and powerful, actually had a soft side hidden inside her.
The power of family love in this world is stronger than anything else.
I thought of “Meiru,” that hateful, annoying man.
“What about my special assistant, Miss Meiru?”
“Meiru?”
“That lunatic?”
“She actually stood in front of all the managers and claimed that she was the real general manager. She even made up a bunch of nonsense.”
When mentioning “Meiru,” my little sister showed a look of disdain.
“At first, Mom was completely fooled by her and was stunned for a while. She almost believed all the ridiculous lies she made up.”
“What happened afterward?”
I asked with great interest.
“Later, Mom discovered that woman was extremely ambitious.
She had even secretly joined forces with several directors, trying to force Mom to step down.”
“So impatient?”
I secretly laughed inside and thought:
“Chen Bixian, sooner or later the entire company will belong to you.
Why rush so much that you end up breaking the whole thing?”
“This matter was secretly reported to Mom by a loyal senior director.
So Mom took action first and drove Meiru out of the company.
Her plan failed.
Later, when Mom investigated Meiru’s takeover arrangements and network of connections, she accidentally discovered that after you disappeared, Meiru had actually hired assassins to come to America and deal with you.
Because she suspected that you had performed a disappearing act:
that you had faked your own death.”
My little sister’s shocking revelation made me secretly feel relieved.
Fortunately, I had “run away” first.
Otherwise, wouldn’t I have been in terrible trouble?
“Was she really that vicious?”
I continued asking.
“Yeah. ‘The most poisonous thing is a woman’s heart.’ That’s what Mom said.”
My little sister’s expression was unusually serious.
I almost could not stop myself from laughing.
“Really? Isn’t Mom herself also like that?”
The moment the words left my mouth, I realized that I had made another mistake.
“Pfft!”
My little sister burst into laughter.
“That’s right. Mom is truly a real-life Empress Wu Zetian.”
“Oh? You agree with what I said too?”
I laughed and finally felt relieved.
9
“Brother, that car accident of yours really did leave you badly injured!”
My younger sister said with a smile as she wiped my face with a wet towel.
I was still half asleep and half awake.
“The aftereffects are still here even now. You seem like a completely different person.”
My younger sister complained softly:
“You didn’t even touch me at all throughout the entire night. Your little sister actually feels kind of unaccustomed to it.”
“I was completely asleep myself. How would I have gone around touching you?”
I kept my eyes half closed.
My brain seemed like it had not started functioning yet.
“You didn’t even let me touch you.
You even reached over and pressed down on my hand.
So stingy!”
“When I sleep, I’m not used to being touched randomly.
That would disrupt my dreams.”
I mumbled in a dazed voice.
“Brother, I think you should come back with me to see Mom.
She will find a way to help you fully recover.”
“Really?
I think forget it.
The way I am now, I’m probably never going back to how I was.”
As I spoke, I suddenly felt a little sorrowful inside.
My mind also became more than half awake.
“Don’t be so pessimistic, Brother.
Mom will do her best to find a solution for you.”
My younger sister comforted me and continued:
“You should also go back to Taiwan to visit Mom, shouldn’t you?
She loves you so much.”
“After this semester ends, okay?
There are only a little more than two months left.
Little sister, let me finish my studies first and adjust my feelings.
Then I’ll go back to Taiwan with you.”
“Alright, Brother.
Don’t go back on your word!”
My younger sister smiled happily.
“I won’t go back on my word.
Don’t worry.”
“Then come with me back to my dorm to move my luggage.
I’ll move here this afternoon and live with you.”
“Isn’t that a little inappropriate?
My apartment is so small.
It’ll be very crowded.”
I said.
“It’s okay.
A smaller place makes it feel more like a honeymoon.”
My younger sister teased mischievously.
“What honeymoon nonsense?
You’re thinking too much!”
I smiled and lightly tapped her forehead.
“Otherwise, why are you sleeping on a double bed?
Unless you eat almond jelly on odd-numbered days, grass jelly on even-numbered days, and occasionally soft and wobbly sweet aiyu jelly on weekends, while changing to cows of different skin colors every day.”
The more my younger sister spoke, the more outrageous she became.
She was practically describing me as a male prostitute.
“Don’t talk nonsense.
This isn’t Kinmen battlefield.
Why are you still playing some kind of ‘one-day-only, no-even-days’ game?”
“Anyway, it’s all the same.
Isn’t it just that kind of thing?”
“There you go again.
Don’t make fun of your brother.
I’m still a genuine, no-fake virgin—
Oh, I said that wrong.
I mean, I’m a genuine, no-fake unmarried man.
Also, your way of talking is becoming more and more shameless.
You’re getting too much, Ah-Zhen.
Be careful, or you’ll never get married in the future.”
The more anxious I became, the more easily I slipped up with my words.
“Brother, you see?
Even your speech suddenly short-circuits.
And you still say there’s nothing wrong with your body?”
My younger sister laughed joyfully.
Her laughter was like a brilliant display of fireworks in the night sky.
“I never planned to get married anyway.
From now on, I’ll just be your housekeeper and stay with you.
I’ll have food to eat and a place to sleep.
Eating my sister-in-law and sleeping with my big brother—
What a happy life.”
“Forget it.
I can’t win an argument with you.
I think I should go become a priest instead.
That way, if you turn into an old unmarried woman, even God won’t blame me.”
I pinched my younger sister’s soft little butt.
A pair of delicate pink hibiscus-like blushes quickly appeared on her face.
“What a headache.
This mischievous little girl!”
I softly sighed.
10
Only two days after my younger sister moved in with me, “Mother” unexpectedly appeared at my door.
My sister and I were both startled. She looked at me innocently and said, “I didn’t tell Mom, David. Please believe me.”
“I followed the radio signal emitted by your sister’s earring all the way here. It has nothing to do with your sister. I know she just moved in to live with you.” Mother explained gently. It turned out that my sister’s earring was actually a miniature listening device.
“Mom, I’m sorry.” I stepped forward and hugged her, but my movement was stiff and unnatural. Toward this woman standing before me, my fear was far greater than my affection.
“Tell me, who exactly are you?”
Mother’s gentle voice carried a hint of sternness, making me afraid to lie.
“I am actually Ji Meiru. Please forgive me.”
“Hmm, you are honest. Because of that alone, I no longer wish to investigate how your soul managed to possess my son’s body.” Mother continued, “Actually, your sister and I are both bio-engineered humans created through biotechnology. I am the first-generation X-type, while your sister is the improved second-generation Y-type. The bio-scientist Dr. Chen Zisheng created me, and you are a clone created by Dr. Zisheng himself.”
Mother’s shocking revelation left both my sister and me staring in stunned silence.
I thought to myself:
“How could I possibly be the doctor’s clone?”
Mother looked at me with a loving expression and said, “From the look on your face, I know the confusion in your heart.”
I nodded and gave a foolish smile.
Mother continued:
“Child, no, Miss Ji Meiru, I do not know how your brainwaves entered the body of my cloned son back then. But it is obvious that the female assistant you brought in is an extremely ambitious woman. She actually wanted to replace me and take control of the entire Chen Biotechnology Corporation. This is absolutely unforgivable. I have already erased her brainwaves and frozen her body.”
My sister and I were so horrified that we could not utter a word.
“The most important program implanted in the brains of bio-engineered humans is absolute loyalty and obedience to the family leader. Secondly, there must be love and trust toward family members. Miss Ji Meiru, although you are not one of my kind, your noble moral character has earned my acceptance and appreciation. I plan to let you continue living as a man, while using your feminine sensitivity, gentleness, and resilient way of thinking, to become my right-hand person. In the future, you will become my successor.”
“But I still want to become a woman again. I hate the feeling of being a man. I cannot wear charming clothes, I cannot use beautiful cosmetics to make myself look radiant and attractive, and I cannot express my gentle nature and receive the loving care and protection of men. Anyway, I simply do not like being a man.”
Finally, I bravely dug out all the words hidden deep inside my heart. I longed to regain the true freedom of my soul.
“That is no longer up to you, Miss Ji Meiru. At present, I still have no way to return your soul to your original body. However, if you follow me and study hard, you will have the opportunity to rise to the highest level of power, control all the resources of the biotechnology company, and command influence over everything. The body of that female assistant is not a bio-engineered human body. Once the company develops transplantation technology, perhaps you will be able to return to your own body.”
I nodded helplessly and said:
“It seems I have no other choice. But I still want to make this request. Please allow me, after working hours, to freely choose to live as a woman.”
Mother smiled gently and lovingly:
“The way you dress as a woman while having a man’s body—when even the ugliest woman sees you, she will surely regain her confidence immediately.”
She added:
“If you happen to be arrested by the police, just say that you are a transgender person.”
“Mom, your joke is really cold!”
My sister said this from the side, while bursting into a strange giggle.
11
Two months later, I obtained my master’s degree in music and a diploma as a piano performer. Mother urged my sister and me to return to Taiwan together. Over the phone, she told me that she would arrange for me to take over the company.
However, when I returned to Taiwan, what awaited me was a “nightmare.”
Mother personally told me:
“Back then, Dr. Zisheng’s own clones were a pair of twins. In other words, there is another person in this world who looks exactly like you—your brother.”
She continued:
“In those years, Dr. Zisheng’s research institute was invaded and set on fire by his enemies. Taking advantage of the chaos, they kidnapped his female assistant and your brother. Your brother was raised by those enemies. They instigated him, and now he has brought a group of underworld followers to our door, demanding that I hand over control of the company.”
“Mom, what do you want me to do?” I asked nervously.
“Since they have come after us, a truly ruthless person must act first. We will strike before they do. Send combat bio-engineered humans to eliminate them.”
A cold and sharp murderous intent flashed in her eyes, sending chills down my spine. Toward this “Mother” standing before me, it seemed that all I had left was “fear.”
My younger sister, who appeared gentle and delicate on the outside, was actually the true executor of the entire operation code-named “Operation Dragon Hunt.” Yet I had been kept completely in the dark by Mother until I unexpectedly encountered my brother during a police arrest operation.
On Friday evening, after finishing reviewing documents, I drove alone to Lushan Hot Spring to soak in the hot springs.
After leaving the hot spring and driving down the mountain road, I was suddenly blocked at a fork in the road by two police surveillance vehicles.
I lowered the car window. A uniformed police officer outside stared at me. Behind him stood two criminal investigators who appeared to be “undercover officers.”
“Officer, I haven’t been drinking,” I said.
I assumed it was a routine drunk-driving checkpoint and was about to take my identification from my suit pocket.
“Sir, please step out of the car,” the officer said.
The moment I opened the car door, the officer grabbed me and pulled me out. The two plainclothes officers behind him moved with astonishing speed. Before I could even understand what was happening, one of them twisted my arm behind my back with a restraint technique and immediately handcuffed me.
“We finally caught you, Black Dragon! Heh heh, after walking so many dark roads at night, it was inevitable that you would eventually fall into the hands of us detectives.”
The undercover officer who had handcuffed me sneered.
“I’m not the person you’re looking for. My name is Chen Bixian, and I’m the general manager of Weiji Biotechnology Company.”
I hurriedly tried to explain.
“Enough nonsense. Don’t try to play tricks.”
The undercover officer suddenly lifted his leg, grabbed both of my shoulders, and violently drove his knee into my lower abdomen. The pain forced me to bend over.
“We’ll take you back to the station. Our brothers will give you a proper welcome, Black Dragon.”
The other undercover officer said.
I was immediately forced to put on a black hood. Like a dead pig being thrown away, I was lifted by them and tossed into the surveillance vehicle.
Inside the interrogation room, a glaring desk lamp shone directly on me. Two plainclothes officers stood behind me.
The “captain” sitting in front of me grabbed my collar tightly and pressed my face against the table.
“Those who understand the situation are wise men. Black Dragon, I suggest you cooperate obediently. Tell us honestly about your operations and the location of your hideout, so you can avoid unnecessary physical suffering!”
“I’m not the Black Dragon you’re looking for! You—you have arrested the wrong person!”
I thought to myself:
They must have mistaken me for my twin brother, the underworld boss.
“Still pretending? Even if you turned into ashes, I would recognize you. Look carefully. This scar on my cheek was given to me by you two years ago.”
That man moved his face close to mine. The smell of his cigar filled the air.
“I really am not Black Dragon. You have arrested the wrong person.”
I repeated myself again and again.
The man quickly lost patience. He grabbed the hair at the back of my head and slapped my face twice with burning force. The two slaps made my vision go black with stars.
“I said I’m not Black Dragon! I’m not the gang leader you’re looking for!”
The timid me covered my cheeks and spoke weakly.
My explanation immediately brought down a storm of fists and kicks.
I was beaten to the floor. It felt as though a layer of my skin had been peeled away. The pain was unbearable.
“Take off his shirt!”
The captain ordered.
With a ripping sound, all the buttons on my shirt suddenly flew off.
“Captain, something’s wrong. Why doesn’t this guy have the legendary Nine-Headed Dragon tattoo on his chest?”
One of the undercover officers said.
“Oh?”
The captain leaned closer and carefully examined me.
“Captain, could we have arrested the wrong person?”
The undercover officer asked.
“Lock him up first. We’ll think about it later.”
The captain’s face turned pale and then flushed, as if he was also confused.
“I want to make a phone call to my family.”
I said.
“Wait until you are sent to the prosecutor’s office.”
At this moment, the captain had already begun to realize that they might have arrested the wrong person, but he stubbornly refused to admit his mistake.
After nearly two hours of interrogation, I had already been beaten until my face was swollen and bruised, my entire body was aching, my tie and sleeves had been pulled and torn apart, and then I was violently kicked into the jail cell.
Inside the narrow detention cell, there was actually a group of fierce-looking criminals packed together.
Someone recognized me.
A man with tattoos covering his chest and arms, a short crew cut, and a face full of brutal features said:
“Boss Black Dragon, how did you get arrested too? You’re really unlucky! Rumor has it in the underworld that Black Dragon, the leader of the Nine Dragons Society, Ghost-Sees-Sorrow, has always acted secretly and has never failed or suffered a defeat. The authorities put a bounty value of twenty million on you!”
“I’m not Black Dragon. You have mistaken me for someone else.”
I said irritably.
“Really? Are you denying it because you’re afraid the news of your arrest will spread throughout the underworld? Am I wrong?”
The man stared at me and examined me from head to toe.
“I’m not the boss you’re talking about, and I’ve never even heard of this Nine Dragons Society.”
After hearing this, the man seemed to notice something unusual about me.
“How is this possible? How can you look so much like him? Let me see your chest tattoo.”
I hesitated briefly and thought:
“I’m already in a man’s body now. If he wants to see it, then let him.”
So I lifted my shirt, whose buttons had already been torn away, revealing my bruised and purple-stained chest and abdomen.
Several men immediately gathered around to watch.
“Heh heh, brothers, come over and take a look. This Black Dragon’s chest actually doesn’t have the legendary Nine-Headed Dragon tattoo? Strange things happen every year, but this is the first one this year!”
The man shouted.
Among the crowd, a middle-aged, slick-haired old man with a greasy appearance said to me:
“Young man, if you’re not Black Dragon, how could you possibly look exactly like him?”
“I don’t know either. Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Perhaps we only look somewhat alike.”
I deliberately pretended to be foolish, because I remembered that “Mother” had repeatedly emphasized that my missing brother “Black Dragon” was ruthless and extremely powerful, with informants even inside the police force.
I did not want “Black Dragon” to hear that I had been arrested by the criminal police and somehow end up in his hands. Therefore, I had no choice but to stubbornly maintain my story.
The next day, I was transferred to the prosecutor’s office.
After another round of questioning, my identity was finally confirmed.
“Mr. Chen, I’m sorry. After our office verified the matter with your family, we confirmed that this was indeed a misunderstanding. If we have shown any disrespect, please accept our apologies. Your sister will come to pick you up shortly.”
The prosecutor said apologetically.
“I was beaten into this condition by your plainclothes officers. Do you think you can settle everything with just the words ‘it was a misunderstanding’? If you don’t give me a proper explanation, we’ll see what happens next!”
I said angrily.
“I will issue a disciplinary report and punish those reckless officers. I will give you an explanation.”
The prosecutor said.
13
On the way back to the company, I tried to throw my chaotic thoughts into the garbage bin of reason. My mind retained only one thought:
“I must find that soul code as soon as possible. I hate becoming a puppet controlled by anyone.”
After I was sent back to the company, the bruises all over my body became my protective charm. The witch and my younger sister did not ask why I was two hours late. Instead, they showed concern and asked about my injuries.
“I was stopped by a police surveillance vehicle, then taken to the Nantou District Prosecutors Office for interrogation. The police seemed to have mistaken me for a gangster leader named Black Dragon. They interrogated me repeatedly and beat me again and again. In the end, they discovered that I did not have a dragon-shaped tattoo on my chest, so they let me go.”
I truthfully explained the first half of the incident, and as expected, I gained my mother’s and sister’s trust.
“How could those cops be so brutal when they attacked someone?” My sister touched the wound on my cheek, her eyes filled with sympathy.
“They were convinced that your brother was that Nine-Dragon Black Dragon, so they used torture to force a confession.” Witch Mother also had a loving expression on her face.
These two ruthless fake mother and daughter figures were actually able to perform so naturally and convincingly in front of me. However, I could sense that they did not seem willing to stand up for me and provoke the police. They only comforted me verbally.
“From now on, don’t go out alone anymore. I’ll send several capable bodyguards to follow you, so nothing unexpected will happen.”
Mother’s move was indeed “brilliant.” She openly and legitimately kept me under surveillance. I also restrained my temper and pretended to be an obedient and well-behaved child.
I understood clearly that the key to the success or failure of this mission was not only my acting ability, but more importantly, my patience. I had to wait until the mother and daughter gradually became less cautious, find the best opportunity to obtain the soul code, and then escape as quickly as possible, leaving this dangerous den.
There were four biochemical human bodyguards assigned to watch over me. But the one who truly gave me a headache was my younger sister. She was practically a lump of chewing gum, sticking within my sight all day long. Even when I took a shower or went to the restroom, she watched me closely.
My younger sister, however, never played tricks on me. She liked serving me because I was her only companion.
With no better choice, I had no choice but to use my younger sister to carry out my mission.
While Mother was abroad, I asked my younger sister to take me into the computer control room. She readily agreed.
That place was a forbidden area for company employees, with extremely strict security. Besides several checkpoints equipped with deadly laser beams, we also had to pass through a long corridor. According to my sister, many lethal mechanisms were installed inside, and not even a fly could fly through it.
After entering the control room, what came into view was a huge supercomputer and a robot responsible for monitoring the computer.
The main computer was connected to a control box. Inside the box was a lump of something. I stared at it for a while before realizing that it was actually a living “human brain.”
It was truly unbelievable!
“Oh my God! Even if I were a computer genius, finding that soul code would probably still take a great deal of effort...”
I muttered to myself.
However, something extraordinary happened.
That supercomputer actually detected my presence, and it seemed to have no hostility toward me.
“Child, you have finally come!”
A figure exactly like me appeared on the computer’s LCD screen. At that moment, I understood that he was the founder of the company: Dr. Chen Zi-Sheng.
In such a situation, the scene of a “father-and-son reunion” was unfolding, yet my heart was filled with complicated emotions.
At this moment, my sister beside me said softly:
“Actually, I should have brought you here long ago. Father has always been thinking about you.”
My sister grabbed my right hand and placed it on the sensor panel.
“Child, I can feel you. You possess an extremely kind heart. I can finally put down the heavy burden on my shoulders. From this moment onward, you are my successor. All the biochemical humans in the company will obey your commands.”
The doctor’s face on the screen was filled with a loving smile.
And then, while still smiling, the supercomputer began executing its own shutdown command.
It turned out that my kind heart was precisely the key soul code.
This development was completely beyond my expectations.
14
When I opened my eyes, Black Dragon’s facial features were stuck in my vision.
“Ji Meiru, do you recognize me? I am Black Dragon.”
I propped up my upper body and discovered that I had indeed returned to my original appearance. It felt as if I had just experienced a strange and upside-down dream...
Black Dragon said:
“Mother and your younger sister have come to see you, and so has your father, Mr. Ji.”
“Mother and my younger sister? What on earth is going on?”
I looked completely confused.
Black Dragon said casually:
“Their soul codes have already been reset. They will no longer do evil things.”
The feeling of becoming a woman again was wonderful. However, sometimes I would unconsciously walk into the men’s restroom, causing the men inside to stare at me and make mocking remarks.
“Does this woman have a peeping habit?”
“This lady came here especially to visit the bird garden and admire the birds...”
Listening to the teasing and mocking voices behind me, I blushed and fled in embarrassment.
However, my bad luck had not yet come to an end...
One afternoon, during a thunderstorm, the rain came down heavily and suddenly. I used my sheet music to shield myself from the rain and hid beneath the shade of a row of large trees.
At that moment, a handsome man holding a black umbrella walked toward me. Out of kindness, he held the umbrella over me to shelter me from the rain, and the two of us squeezed closely together beneath it.
The man said:
“An afternoon thunderstorm should stop soon, shouldn’t it?”
Looking at the curtain of rain, the folk singer Cheng Yi’s song “The Little Rain Came at Just the Right Time” echoed in my mind.
Unexpectedly, a flash of white light struck down.
The electric current traveled from the tip of the umbrella through both of our bodies, and I instantly lost consciousness...
I did not know how much time had passed when I slowly woke up.
I discovered that I was lying on a burn ward bed. My face and body were wrapped in gauze. My whole body was burning with sharp pain, as if thousands of ants were biting me all over.
A nurse led a group of people to my bedside.
One of them said:
“The leading actor has ended up like this. Can our movie still begin filming tomorrow?”
Another person said:
“Looks like Zhiming is seriously injured this time. We’ll have no choice but to temporarily replace him with another actor.”
“Leading actor? Zhiming? Temporarily replacing him?”
I hurriedly reached out and touched my chest.
My instinct told me that the nightmare had happened again...
I cried out:
“Nurse, my breasts... are my breasts gone again?”
